Clifford Strider
Clifford "Cliff" Strider was a enlisted corpsmen serving in the UNSC Navy, during the Human-Covenant War. He served valiantly during the Battle of Sydney, attached to deployed contingents of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, and worked alongside Gunnery Sergeant Leonardo Simmons to uncover an Office of Naval Investigation coverup. History Clifford Fitzgerald Strider was born in the city of Austin, in the region once known as Texas, on the 3rd of January 2535. His mother, Lezlie Strider, died three days afterward, due to medical complications. His father, Andrew Strider, began excessive drinking to cope with the loss of his wife, and lost custody of Clifford within four years of his birth. Andrew's 21 year old son, Eugene Strider, petitioned UEG Child Services to receive custody of Clifford, which Child Services approved of almost immediately given his relations and clean legal history, unlike the bulk of his relatives. Eugene - or more more commonly known as "Bro" by Clifford - worked as a soundboard operator and music mixer for a club in downtown Austin, and ran an array of lucrative and dubiously legal electronic domains. He never lied about the illicit nature of his occupation, and even prompted Cliff to learn how to assist in the business by learning to effectively utilize and innovate with electronic devices, and to become an avid technophile. As Clifford grew, he began emulating his brother; including his interests (swords, electronics and mixing music), in addition to emulating his brother's social style of attaining the center of attention though utilization of a cutting wit and retaining it through intellect and charisma. He also adopted his brothers habit of using wearable computer in the form of a pair of shades with an optical head-mounted display everywhere he went. This adoption of technology as well as his aptitude in utilizing it led to his being able to deftly manipulate circumstances to his favour. Following a police raid on his residence in 2550 over the illegal hosting of applications in order to promote pirating, Cliff and Eugene was given the option of an extended imprisonment or to join the UNSC Defense Forces. Both chose to join the UNSC Navy in an attempt to sidestep heavy duties; however, Cliff's aptitude test and basic training proficiency in emergency battlefield medicine led to his career field becoming a corpsman on detachment to the Marine Corps. Eugene was recruited by the Office of Naval Intelligence. Clifford proved to be a reliable and proficient solider, and an effective corpsman; saving the lives of hundreds through several deployments against the Covenant. He was attending the final portion of Orbital Drop Shock Trooper training, when the Covenant attacked Reach. He was deployed, along with other newly-christened ODSTs to defend Camp Hathcock, to which was done, despite his taking significant injury in the line of duty. Camp Hathcock was defended until the bitter end of the Battle of Reach, where he and his unit were narrowly saved by Pelicans from the last prowlers exfiltrating Reach orbit. Clifford was assigned to Charlie Company, of the 11th Shock Troops Battalion, following the near annihilation of his unit on Reach, and later played a crucial role in the Battle of Sydney, pushing back the Covenant onslaught.